Car-coupling.



Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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M. G. IRONSIDB.

UAR GOUPLING.

APPLICATION rum) 0OT.26,1909.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR.

- TTORNEK M. G. IRONSIDE.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED 0012a, 1909.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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CDLUMIIA PLAHOGRAPH C0,,WASHINUTDN, D. C-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW C. IRONSIDE, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-NINTHS TOJAMES CUMMINGS, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, AND TWO-NINTHS TO PATRICK J.I-IORAN AND TWO-NINTHS TO DAVID MCDONNELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed September 26, 1908, Serial No. 454,872.Divided and this application filed October 26, 1909.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MATTHEW C. IRON- SIDE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county ofWyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Cow plers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplers.

It relates particularly to automatic couplers of the type having apivoted coupler hook for lockingly engaging with the hook of an opposingcoupler.

The object of my invention is to provide a coupler head with a safetylip which will prevent the opposing coupler hook from moving downward toa position in which the coupler hooks would be disengaged. Oftentimes acoupler head becomes detached by breaking of some of the parts from thecar and being unsupported by the opposite coupler it falls upon thetrack and causes wrecking of the train.

By means of my present improvement the coupler hook of the detachedcoupler is retained in locked engagement with the opposing couplerthereby preventing an accident from the cause just referred to.

This application is a division of the application filed by me Sept. 26,1908, having Serial No. 454,872.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred form of myinventionFigure 1 is a top View of two of my improved couplers about toenter into locked engagement with each other. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional View of the two couplers shown in locked engagement with eachother, the section being taken on the dotted line ab of Fig. 3. Fig. 3is a vertical sectional view, taken on the broken dotted line cd of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a portion of a car equipped with myimproved coupler. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of what is shown in Fig. 4.Fig. 6 is a cross section on the dotted line e-; of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters denote similar parts.

1 denotes the coupler head which is preferably of the well known Janneytype and is provided at its forward and outer end with a recess 2, whichis adapted to force the coupler hook of the opposing coupler into thelocked position. The coupler head 1 is provided below the recessedportion 2 with a safety lip 3, the purpose of which will be describedhereinafter.

4 denotes a coupler hook, pivoted to swing on a vertical axis by meansof a vertical knuckle pin 5, which extends through openings providedtherefor in the coupler head 1.

6 denotes a vertically slidable locking pin mounted in a verticalopening provided therefor in the coupler head 1, and disposed so as tobe moved by gravity to a position in which it will extend across thepath of movement of the rear end of the coupler hook 4, therebyreleasably holding the coupler hook in the locked position shown inFigs. 2 and 6. The locking pin 6 is provided with a notch or recess 7,disposed so that when the locking pin is raised to the proper positionthe coupler. hook 4 will be permitted to swing horizontally to theunlocked position shown in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for elevating the locking pin 6 automatically and forautomatically supporting the pin in the raised position, is describedand shown in the aforesaid application for Letters Patent, and as thesefeatures form no part of the present invention, they need not bedescribed.

\Vhen the couplers are in the locked position shown in Figs. 2 and 3,the hook 4 of each coupler will have its forward end disposed above thesafety lip 3 of the opposite coupler. If, by any chance, either couplerhead becomes detached from its car by breakage or by being ulledout fromthe car, it will fall by gravity upon and be supported by the lip 3 ofthe opposing coupler head. It cannot therefore, fall upon the track andpossibly effect wrecking of the train. If such detachment from a car ofa coupler head occurs the damaged coupler may be afterward removed uponthe raising of either locking pin 6 to a position in which the adjacenthook 4 may swing through the recess 7 of the raised locking pin.

The lip 3 of the safety guard preferably has its upper side incliningupwardly and rearwardly from its upper front edge, so that formationthereon of ice is prevented. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the safety guardis provided with side walls 8 the inner sides of which incline upwardlyand laterally from the lip 3 and which have front edges which inclineforwardly and upwardly from the lip 3. This form of the side wallsaffords great strength to resist impact of an opposing coupler and alsoprevents lateral movementof an opposing coupler, which has becomedetached from its car, to a position in which it might become disengagedfrom the coupler. By having the front edges of the walls 8 inclinedforwardly and upwardly these walls are more liable to receive the impactof an opposing coupler on their upper portions, thereby reducing theliability of breaking of the guard.

Modifications of my invention, within the scope ofthe appended claims,may be made without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a couplerhook pivot-ed thereto, the coupler head having a safety guard having ahorizontal lip and a side wall which extends to the forward edge of thelip and has its inner side inclining upwardly and laterally from theupper side of the lip.

2. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a couplerhook pivoted thereto, the coupler head having a safety guard having ahorizontal lip and a side wall which extends to the forward edge of thelip and has itsinner side inclining upwardly and laterally from theupper side of the lip, the side wall having its front edge incliningforwardly and upwardly from the upper side of the lip.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW C. IRONSIDE. Witnesses:

E. B. HoUsE, J. C. IRWIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

